Police arrested Edward Roman, 31, of Chicago, and charged him with breaking into two garages in the alley between the 1100 blocks of Harlem Avenue and Marengo Street on Dec. 19 at 10:42 a.m. Police said a woman was seated in her parked car in her garage texting on her phone when she heard scraping noises from the side service door. As she exited her car, the side door crashed in and Roman allegedly stepped into the garage. When he saw the woman, he cursed and fled. Police arriving on the scene saw Roman allegedly removing an orange extension cord in a round carrier from the garage opposite. He dropped the extension cord and a foot chase ensued, through and around several backyards. Roman was caught and police discovered a flat-head screwdriver in a nearby planter. Both garages had visible pry marks and the frames had been forcibly shattered. Roman was charged with burglary and allegedly told police he steals to support a cocaine habit.
Hit and almost ran
Bobby D. Richardson, 55, of Chicago was arrested after the silver 1993 Chevy he was driving allegedly crashed into another car at the intersection of Adams and Circle avenues, Dec. 21 at 10:12 a.m. Richardson began to drive away after the accident, but upon seeing an arriving squad car, he pulled over. He was found to have a suspended driver’s license and was charged with driving with license suspended and destruction of property.
Jaguar vs. Dodge
Tyrone Roney, 55, of Forest Park was arrested and charged with hit-and-run after allegedly crashing his copper 2005 Jaguar into a silver Dodge carryall driven by a woman at 3:18 p.m. on Dec. 21 at Roosevelt Road and Des Plaines Avenue. Police curbed the Jaguar at Jackson and Des Plaines and found Roney to be driving without insurance and with a suspended driver’s license.
Car battery stolen from cemetery employees
Police received a 911 call on Dec. 22 at 7:18 a.m. that an auto burglary had occurred in Forest Home cemetery and that the offender was running through the cemetery with a car battery. Employees pointed to the area near the I-290 Des Plaines exit where the fleeing male had been seen. Forest Park officers picked up Tony McCallum, 43, of Forest Park, walking on the I-290 westbound exit ramp where pedestrian traffic is forbidden. He was not carrying a battery. Cemetery employees identified McCallum as the man they saw running with the battery. They told police several car batteries have been stolen from cemetery work vehicles recently. Police found a freshly cut battery 100 yards southeast of where a car with freshly cut cables was parked in the lot. McCallum reportedly told police his employer had dropped him off on the pedestrian ramp because he would not stop at his expressway exit. McCallum was charged with a single count of criminal trespass and one count of theft from a motor vehicle.
Christmas gift card used by thief
A man reported to police on Dec. 22 that someone had stolen from his mail a Wal-Mart gift card his mother had sent from Alabama. Police contacted loss-prevention officials at Wal-Mart who told them the card had been used on Dec. 19 at 3:45 p.m. by an unknown person.
These items were obtained from the records of the Forest Park Police Department, Dec. 19Ð22, 2011, and represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Unless otherwise indicated, anyone named in the report has only been charged with a crime.
-Compiled by Jean Lotus
